It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Rose
Stoeckert, mother of Waterbury Fire Captain Robert Stoeckert.
Calling hours will be held on Thursday March 1, 2007 9-10:30AM
at Phalen Funeral Home in Torrington. Funeral services will be
held on Thursday March 1, 2007 11AM at Saint Francis Church in
Torrington followed by a burial in Saint Peter Cemetery.
2/27/07 Line of Duty Death - West Liberty, KY

Our condolences to the Vanderpool family and the White Oak Fire
Department of West Liberty, Kentucky. FireFighter Steven Vanderpool,
28, a volunteer firefighter with several local fire departments,
died Saturday February 24, 2007. On February 11, 2007, Steven was
responding in his personal vehicle to an accident on Jones Creek
Branch in Morgan County when he was broadsided while negotiating
an intersection. He was ejected from the vehicle and then transported
to Morgan County ARH Hospital. He was then flown to U.K. Medical
Center in Lexington where he remained in a coma until he passed away
from his injuries two weeks later.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Steven Vanderpool Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/26/07 Armpatch Gallery Update

Today I updated the Armpatch Gallery with 24 new armpatches,
including these two submissions from the Apex Volunteer Fire
Department of Apex, North Carolina and the Scioto Township
Fire Department of Ostrander, Ohio.
These new armpatches can be found on pages
Armpatch 184
and
Armpatch 185.
There are now 2,220 armpatches in the gallery.
2/23/07 Line of Duty Death - Seaside Heights, NJ

Our condolences to the Broom-Smith family and the Seaside Heights
Volunteer Fire Department of New Jersey. FireFighter John Broom-Smith,
44, a member of the Water Rescue Team and a recent graduate of Ocean
City Fire Academy, died Sunday February 4, 2007. John had responded
to an alarm activation at the Coty Marina. Firefighters cleared the
alarm and returned to the fire station. Later that night he suffered
an apparent heart attack and passed away.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
John Broom-Smith Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/22/07 Armpatch Gallery Update

Today I updated the Armpatch Gallery with 24 new armpatches,
including these two submissions from the Eagle Hose & Hook &
Ladder Company of Ansonia, Connecticut and Engine 17 / Truck 17
of the Texas Rangers stationed in Baltimore County, Maryland.
These new armpatches can be found on pages
Armpatch 182
and
Armpatch 183.
There are now 2,196 armpatches in the gallery.
2/20/07 Line of Duty Death - Albany, NY

Our condolences to the Abriel family and the Albany Fire Department
of New York. FireFighter Theodore Abriel, 44, a 20 year veteran of
the Albany Fire Department, died Monday February 19, 2006. Theodore
was searching for victims on the sixth floor of a high-rise structure
fire when he collapsed. He was rushed to Albany Medical Center where
he was pronounced dead. Theodore had operated at 2 other structure
fires earlier that day.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Theodore Abriel Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/19/07 Photo Gallery Update

I added 6 more photos to the
Helmet Photo Gallery.
The latest one I received is featured here from Nikolos Hoyt who is a
firefighter for the City of Claremont in New Hampshire. There are now
29 helmet photos in this gallery. If you would like to add yours, simply
Email Me
a photo and I will be glad to add it to the gallery.
2/17/07 Line of Duty Death - Sharon Township, OH

Our condolences to the Murray family, the Sharon Township Fire
and the Medina Township Fire Department of Ohio. FireFighter Jeffery
Murray, 40, a member of the Sharon Township Fire Department and a
former member of the Medina Township Fire Department, died Tuesday
February 13, 2007. Jeff had responded to a call during adverse weather
conditions. Upon returning to his home, he collapsed and was
unresponsive. He was transported to Medina General Hospital where
he was unable to be revived.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Jeffery Murray Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/14/07 Armpatch Gallery Update

Today I updated the Armpatch Gallery with 24 new armpatches,
including these two submissions from the Golden Ring Beltway
Patrol of Baltimore County, Maryland and the FDNY Animal
House Station of Engine 75 and Ladder 33 of the Bronx, New
York City.
These new armpatches can be found on pages
Armpatch 180
and
Armpatch 181.
There are now 2,172 armpatches in the gallery.
2/13/07 Photo Gallery Update

I received some more photos of the fatal fire at the Bradley Gardens
Apartments (formerly Villa Sol Dor) in Waterbury on Sunday. Kevin
Czarzasty is a past FireFighter, EMT, and a member of the International
Organization of Fire Photographers. Read more in his bio on the
Kevin Czarzasty Photo Gallery.
2/12/07 Line of Duty Death - Baltimore City, MD

Our condolences to the Wilson family and the Baltimore City Fire
Department of Maryland. Fire Recruit Rachael Wilson, 29, a Baltimore
City Fire Recruit expected to graduate in March, died Friday February
9, 2007. Rachael was extinguishing a blaze during a live fire exercise
in a vacant 3-story rowhouse when she collapsed. She was transported
to Maryland Shock Trauma Center where she died shortly after. Two
other recruits were injured in the fire and were treated and released
from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Rachael Wilson Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/11/07 Fatal Apartment Fire in Waterbury

Waterbury FireFighters responded to a structure fire at Building 8
in the center of the Villa Sol Dor 3-story multiple-building apartment
complex on Bradley Avenue at 2:30AM this morning. Ten people were
transported to St. Mary and Waterbury Hospitals and one women has
died from injuries sustained from the fire. The fire building
partially collapsed and several other buildings sustained smoke and
water damage. Over 100 people were evacuated and relocated to nearby
Tinker School. FireFighters were still operating at the scene at 9AM
and mutual aid from Watertown, Middlebury, and Thomaston are covering
stations.
2/10/07 Line of Duty Death - Detroit, MI

Our condolences to the Torkos family and the the City of Detroit
Fire Department of Michigan. Fire Engineer Operator Joseph Torkos,
47, an 11 year veteran of the Detroit Fire Department, died Wednesday
February 7, 2007. Joseph was driving Engine 17 while responding with
lights and sirens to a structure fire when the apparatus was hit by
a Chevy Tahoe traveling at a high rate of speed through an intersection.
Joseph and the officer, Lieutenant Walt Grysko were ejected from the
apparatus. Joseph died shortly after at the scene while Grysko was
hospitalized and 2 other firefighters were treated and released from
injuries sustained in the crash. The driver of the other vehicle was
killed in the crash.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Joseph Torkos Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/9/07 Line of Duty Death - Danville, KY

Our condolences to the King family, the Danville Fire Department, and
the Boyle County Volunteer Fire Department of Kentucky. FireFighter
Shane King, 29, a firefighter since age 16, died Saturday February 3,
2007. Shane was returning home from department mandated EMT training
near Hustonville when his personal vehicle crossed over the center
line and struck an oncoming semi-tractor trailer head-on.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Shane King Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/8/07 Line of Duty Death - Bethlehem, PA

Our condolences to the Hegney family and the Se-Wy-Co Volunteer Fire
Company of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Lieutenant Robert Hegney, 53, a
33 year veteran of the fire service, died Saturday February 3, 2007.
Robert had worked a dwelling fire on Thursday February 1, 2007 and
complained of not feeling well later that evening. Two day later he
was transported to St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill with flu-like
symtoms. While being transferred for an angioplasty he went into cardiac
arrest and passed away.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Robert Hegney Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/7/07 Line of Duty Death - Vergennes, IL

Our condolences to the Fox family and the Vergennes Fire
Department of Illinois. FireFighter Michael Fox, 37, a 20 year
veteran of the Vergennes Fire Department, died Friday February 2,
2007. Mike suffered a heart attack while operating the fire
department ambulance responding to an EMS call. He was able to
pull the vehicle to the side of the road safely. His partner
performed CPR and another ambulance transported them to St.
Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro where he was pronounced
dead.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Michael Fox Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/6/07 Line of Duty Death - Washington, PA

Our condolences to the LaBella family, the Washington Fire Department,
and the Canton Township Fire Department of Pennsylvania. FireFighter
Jeremy LaBella, 27, a 12 year veteran of the Canton Township Fire
Department, and a member of the Washington Fire Department for 6
months, died Sunday February 4, 2007. Jeremy was operating at a
structure fire in a two story home with an attached garage that was
an old motorcycle shop when he was trapped with another firefighter
after a canopy and part of the roof collapsed. The other firefighter
was rescued and suffered leg injuries but Jeremy was unresponsive
when he was rescued. He was transported to Washington Hospital where
he was pronounced dead.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Jeremy LaBella Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/5/07 Line of Duty Death - Middle Island, NY

Our condolences to the Catania family, the Middle Island Fire
Department, and the North Massapequa Fire Department of Long Island,
New York. FireFighter Anthony Catania, 77, a 10 year veteran of the
Middle Island Fire Department and a member of the fire service since
1969, died Friday February 2, 2007. Anthony radioed for assistance
after suffering a stroke following an EMS call on Sunday January 28,
2007. He was transported to University Hospital where he underwent
surgery. He succumbed to his injuries injuries five days later.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Anthony Catania Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/2/07 Line of Duty Deaths - Ghent, WV

Our condolences to the Burroughs and Dorsey families, the Ghent
Volunteer Fire Department, and the families of all the victims of the
Ghent Gas Explosion. On Tuesday January 30, 2007 two men were working
on the two 500 pound propane storage tanks behind the Little General
Store in Ghent, West Virginia when the Ghent Volunteer Fire Department
responded to an odor of gas at the store. Captain Frederick Burroughs
had arrived in his personal vehicle and FireFighter-EMT Craig Dorsey
had arrived in a Ghent Ambulance when propane that had accumulated
was ignited causing a massive explosion that leveled the store and
overturned vehicles. Captain Frederick Burroughs, 51, and FireFighter-EMT
Craig Dorsey, 24, and the two propane workers were killed by the blast.
Four employees of the store and Ghent Volunteer FireFighter Donnie Caldwell
were injured by the explosion.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Ghent Gas Explosion Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
2/1/07 Non-Line of Duty Death - Redding, CT

Our condolences to the Sanford family, the Connecticut Fire
Fighters Pipes and Drums, the Danbury Fire Department, the Wilton
Fire Department, the Wesport Fire Department, and the West Redding
Fire Department, all of Connecticut. Retired Deputy Chief of
Westport David Sanford, 62, a decorated U.S. Army Vietnam veteran
and life-long dedicated firefighter, died Tuesday January 30, 2007.
David passed away after a long illness.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
David Sanford Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.